Fully 70% of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, so economic and market pros watch moves in consumer sentiment closely…and so do I. In a new poll from research expert Gallup, we find consumer sentiment mixed – curiously so, considering how strong the economy seems to be at the moment.
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The Impact of Technology on Real Estate Sales
New research put out by the National Association of Realtors looks at the impact of technology on the real estate market. In particular, the study, called Real Estate in a Digital Age, contemplated how technology has impacted the buying process – and how different generations of buyers use technology when looking for a home.
See how technology has impacted home buyers and realtors…
[Read more…] about The Impact of Technology on Real Estate Sales
Troubling Sign: New Home Sales Resume Their Decline
Economic Storm Clouds Continue to Build
In what many feel is yet another sign of a brewing economic storm, sales of new single-family homes in October showed a significant drop of 8.9% below the rate of home sales in September, according to new data from the United States Census Bureau. With this result, the inventory of new homes available for sale jumped to 7.4-months, a 14% jump in unsold newly constructed homes.
See more on this troubling report on housing… [Read more…] about Troubling Sign: New Home Sales Resume Their Decline
Research: DIY Gains Momentum in Smart Home Market
New Data Sure to Send Shivers Down Integrators’ Spines
In what some might view as a startling result, new research from GfK reveals that a majority of consumers (52%) said that they prefer to install their own smart home products. This result is substantially higher than the percentage of consumers who said this (43%) the last time this survey was done in 2015.
See more on this eye-opening research on the DIY market… [Read more…] about Research: DIY Gains Momentum in Smart Home Market
Google Gains Ground, But Alexa Rules Smart Speakers
You will find more infographics at Statista
Troubling Sign: New Home Sales Drop in Sept
Recently, I warned of some troubling housing related news. You may recall that a collapse in the housing sector was a key driver of the last recession in 2007-2009 that was so painful for the custom integration community, and for the country as a whole. In my report – Are You Prepared for the Coming Recession? – I noted a pronounced and troubling turn in several housing industry specific data, perhaps presaging another economic downturn. Now new government data shows that, once again, new residential sales have declined in the month of September.
See more on residential sales turning downward… [Read more…] about Troubling Sign: New Home Sales Drop in Sept
New Study Says Voice-Controlled Assistants Aren’t Used Daily
As more research continues to emerge on consumer utilization of voice-controlled devices, it becomes clear that there are still impediments to end-users utilizing their voice-control capabilities regularly, according to research by Social Lens. A separate study by Nielsen reaffirms what Strata-gee has previously reported, that people use smart speakers more for listening to music, than for any other task…including voice-control of their home automation solutions.
See more on this pair of new studies on voice-controlled smart speakers… [Read more…] about New Study Says Voice-Controlled Assistants Aren’t Used Daily
House of Horrors: Sept. Housing Starts Drop 5.3%
I’ve been sounding the alarm about a housing slowdown for a couple of months now, starting with this overall look at how a housing industry-led recession could be just around the corner. Now, new data on housing, the industry that was a major driver of the last recession, continues to offer a bearish outlook with housing construction starts dropping a significant 5.3% in the month of September.
See more on the latest data from the Commerce Department on housing starts… [Read more…] about House of Horrors: Sept. Housing Starts Drop 5.3%
CEDIA Market Stats Reveal Opportunities for Members
Like past years at Expo, CEDIA presented a summary of their findings from the recently completed Size and Scope survey at Expo 2018. This year, however, the presentation was made by Grant Farnsworth of The Farnsworth Group, an Indianapolis-based market statistics consultant who did an excellent job in conveying a lot of detailed and important data to show attendees.
See the latest CEDIA market data… [Read more…] about CEDIA Market Stats Reveal Opportunities for Members
Study Shows People Value Their Data Over Their Car
After years of shocking privacy breaches and the more recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, consumers are becoming more and more concerned about the security of their personal data. This attitude is reflected in new privacy research survey in which a majority of respondents said they viewed their personal data as more valuable to them than even their car.
